Calif. police officer saves 1-year-old child

The officer was commended by the department for his quick action and calm demeanor in helping save the infant's life

By Megan Hansen
The Marin Independent Journal

SAN RAFAEL, Calif. — A San Rafael police officer saved a 1-year-old child's life after stopping to help a frantic family whose youngest member had stopped breathing.

A woman called 911 around 8:16 p.m. Nov. 14 to report that her child wasn't breathing and she needed help, according to a police press release. Before the call could be dispatched to the fire department, the child's uncle approached San Rafael police Officer Mark Wilkinson, who happened to be patrolling the 3500 block of Kerner Boulevard to ask for help.

Wilkinson and the uncle ran to the child's mother, who was holding the infant next to the family's SUV. Wilkinson brought the child to the rear cargo area of the SUV so he could lay the infant flat and check his vital signs.

Wilkinson noticed the child was not breathing and had become pale and blue in the face. Able to locate a faint pulse on the child, Wilkinson asked the fire department to respond to his location and began giving the child rescue breaths.

Additional police officers arrived to support Wilkinson and after about one minute of breaths, the child began to slowly breathe on his own and eventually cry. San Rafael Fire Department personnel transported the infant to Marin General Hospital, where he made a full recovery. It was believed the child had suffered a high fever as a result of being ill, the release said.

Wilkinson has been an officer with the police department for nearly one year. He was commended by the department for his quick action and calm demeanor in helping save the infant's life.